JERSEY CITY, N.J. -- A Passaic man was arrested in Jersey City Tuesday after trying to stab an emergency medical technician responding to a call of man suffering from a diabetic emergency, officials said.

Benjamin S. McCray Jr., 51, was arrested at 11:16 a.m. at Tonnelle and Manhattan avenues and was charged with aggravated assault and unlawful possession of a weapon, reports said.

EMTs responding to a store at Manhattan and Liberty avenues on the diabetes call were told the man had left and was walking down Manhattan Avenue, reports said.

The EMTs spotted McCray, who fit the description of the man they were told about, walking on Manhattan and Tonnelle avenues, but when they approached him and asked if he needed help, McCray took out a knife and started swinging it at them, reports said.

The EMTs retreated to their ambulance and called police, who found McCray on Tonnelle, where he was climbing the concrete divider and was about to walk into oncoming traffic, reports said.

An officer grabbed McCray's arm to stop him and felt a knife hidden up his sleeve, reports said.

The officer took the knife and arrested McCray, who was positively identified by the EMTs, reports said.